Too old to be youth official, Cardema now says he represents ‘professionals’

MANILA, Philippines – After claiming to represent the youth, but
found breaching the age limit for the sector's congressional
representative, Duterte Youth chairman Ronald Cardema changes tunes. He
says he now represents professionals.

"As
far the respondent is concerned, there is no argument to the age....
[But] even if they will argue the respondent cannot be classified as
youth, he can be classified as a representative of the professional
sector," Garcia said.

"This party is actually representing two sectors: the youth and
professional sectors. The respondent is of the professional sector," he
added.

Among the issues
highlighted by petitioners National Union of Students of the
Philippines, College Editors Guild of the Philippines, and Youth Act Now
Against Tyranny was Cardema's failure to meet requirements to become a
representative of the youth sector under the Party-List System Act.

The Party-List System Act mandates that representatives of the youth
sector must be at least 25 years old, but not more than 30 years old on
Election Day. Based on his certificates of nomination and acceptance
filed with the Comelec, Cardema is 34 years old as he was born on April
12, 1985. Three other substitute nominees, aged 31 to 36, also "failed
to comply with the age requirement."

Election lawyer Emil Marañon III, who represented the petitioners,
argued the age limit would still apply to Cardema and the party's 4
other nominees even if they claimed to represent two sectors. This is
because Duterte Youth's official title – "Duterte Youth and Young
Professionals" – subjected it to qualifications listed in the Party-List
System Act.

"The registration of Duterte Youth is specifically representing the
youths and young professionals – professionals was qualified by the word
'young,'" Marañon said.

Marañon added Cardema only started claiming he represented the
professional sector after questions about his age were raised, and that
in public interviews Duterte Youth was described as a party representing
the youth sector.

"There is a misrepresentation on his part regarding qualifications so
his candidacy or nomination should be cancelled," Marañon said.

The hearing comes a week after a majority of the 7-member Comelec en banc on June 4 approved the last-minute substitution bid of Cardema and the party's 4 other nominees

The Comelec voted 5-1-1 on the matter, ruling to adopt its law
department's recommendations to give the substitution bid due course
after the party met the deadline for filing.

Despite Comelec's allowing the substitution, Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said Cardema cannot sit as the Duterte Youth representative in Congress until all issues on his qualification are resolved.

Lawyer: Cardema represents ‘young professionals’ not youth sector

MANILA, Philippines — The legal counsel of former National Youth
Commission (NYC) chairman Ronald Cardema argued that the latter
represented the young professionals, and not the youth sector, when he
applied for substitution to become the first nominee of the Duterte
Youth party-list.

“Even if they will argue, perhaps the respondent cannot be classified
as youth sector he can be classified as the [young] professional
sector,” lawyer George Garcia said during the Commision on Elections
(Comelec) en banc hearing on Cardema’s substitution bid.

Garcia was referring to the petitioners’ argument questioning Cardema’s eligibility to represent the youth sector.

Petitioners said under the Party-List System Act law, the
first nominee for representing the youth group should not be more than
30 years old on election day. The former NYC chairman is currently 34
years old.

Lawyer Emilio Marañon, special counsel of the petitioners, said
Cardema’s public statements showed that he has been representing the
youth sector.

“All his public statements he has been representing the youth sector
and not the professional sector, he only said he is professional sector
in this [substitution] case,” Marañon said during the hearing.

Three petitioners including representatives from College Editors’ Guild
of the Philippines National Union of Students of the Philippines and
Youth Act Against Tyranny questioned the substitution bid of Cardema

sabi nga ni Aiza nun umalis siya sa NYCC,

".... ayaw ko nasa NYCC at hindi ako makatulong sa gabi."

Comelec official gets threats; Duterte Youth eyed

MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said yesterday she has been getting threatening text messages she believes to be coming from Duterte Youth party-list group.

“I received this text, ‘Kapag inipit mo pa din kame at di pa din kame nakaupo ilalabas namin part 2 ng series mo at papakasohan ka pa namen.’ Who do you think sent this? Obviously,” she posted on Twitter. The sender threatened to file charges against Guanzon and air the second part of an apparent exposé against her.

Guanzon said it was the second time that she received threatening messages, apparently coming from the same group of people.

She said the Duterte Youth and Senior Citizens Coalition are the only party-list groups that have yet to receive a certification of proclamation with the names of nominees due to pending petitions.

Guanzon earlier said the Comelec will not issue a certificate of proclamation to the Duterte Youth until they resolve disqualification case against the group’s first nominee, Ronald Cardema.

“Analyze the language and style. It is hardly the work of old people,” Guanzon pointed out.

Although she is against the nomination of Cardema, the poll official said, she is not the ponente or the one writing the decision in the case.

“But their smear campaign against me will not sit well with the commissioners,” Guanzon added.

Guanzon said she decided to expose the threats made against her to defend the Comelec’s independence.

“When they attack a commissioner with the intent to threaten to destroy our reputation, they are attacking our integrity,” she said.

The Comelec First Division is expected to come out soon with its decision on the disqualification case against Cardema.

Comelec official gets threats; Duterte Youth eyed

MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said yesterday she has been getting threatening text messages she believes to be coming from Duterte Youth party-list group.

“I received this text, ‘Kapag inipit mo pa din kame at di pa din kame nakaupo ilalabas namin part 2 ng series mo at papakasohan ka pa namen.’ Who do you think sent this? Obviously,” she posted on Twitter. The sender threatened to file charges against Guanzon and air the second part of an apparent exposé against her.

Guanzon said it was the second time that she received threatening messages, apparently coming from the same group of people.

She said the Duterte Youth and Senior Citizens Coalition are the only party-list groups that have yet to receive a certification of proclamation with the names of nominees due to pending petitions.

Guanzon earlier said the Comelec will not issue a certificate of proclamation to the Duterte Youth until they resolve disqualification case against the group’s first nominee, Ronald Cardema.

“Analyze the language and style. It is hardly the work of old people,” Guanzon pointed out.

Although she is against the nomination of Cardema, the poll official said, she is not the ponente or the one writing the decision in the case.

“But their smear campaign against me will not sit well with the commissioners,” Guanzon added.

Guanzon said she decided to expose the threats made against her to defend the Comelec’s independence.

“When they attack a commissioner with the intent to threaten to destroy our reputation, they are attacking our integrity,” she said.

The Comelec First Division is expected to come out soon with its decision on the disqualification case against Cardema.

Cardema seen at House of Representatives amid unresolved substitution plea, gag order

MANILA, Philippines — Former National Youth Commission chair Ronald Gian Carlo Cardema, who is vying to become the Duterte Youth Party-list representative went to the House of Representatives on Monday morning hours before the opening of the 18th Congress and the fourth State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.

This was despite the gag order issued upon him by the Commission on Elections.

Cardema, also Duterte Youth party-list chair, in a report said he was invited by his former bosses.

He said he worked at the House of Representatives for seven years.

Last June 11, the poll body issued a gag order against Cardema and ordered him to refrain from speaking about the disqualification cases against him in public.

The Comelec is still resolving the petitions against his substitution for nomination.

Cardema pushed for his substitution as the first nominee for Duterte Youth party-list last May.

Questions on Cardema and his age were raised since Section 9 of the Party-list System Act states that a nominee of the youth sector must not be more than 30 years old.

Cardema’s Facebook page indicated that he was born on April 13, 1986, making him 33 years old.

Petitioners also questioned the timeliness of Cardema’s petition.

Under Section 18 of Comelec Resolution No. 3307-A, it states that "a party-list nominee may be substituted only when he dies, or his nomination is withdrawn by the party, or he becomes incapacitated to continue as such, or he withdraws his acceptance to the nomination."

"No substitution shall be allowed by reason of withdrawal after the close of polls," it adds.

Some also question his misrepresentation of the youth party-list. However, Cardema asserted that the Duterte Youth does not actually represent the youth sector and is a party-list for "Youth and Professionals."

Last June 4, the Comelec en banc gave due course to Cardema's application for substitution.

"Given due course" means a petition has moved forward but does not necessarily mean it has been approved or disapproved.

The Comelec said the substitution has not yet been granted.

No Certificates of Proclamation yet

According to the June 22 data from the poll body, only 57 of the 61 party-list representatives secured their Certificates of Proclamation.

Duterte Youth has yet to claim its certificate before the Comelec.

The COP will allow nominees to assume their posts at the House of Representatives.

The nominees are expected to assume their posts on Monday during the opening of the 18th Congress.

Comelec division cancels Duterte Youth's nomination of Cardema

(UPDATED) Ronald Cardema, whose congressional bid drew wide criticism
across the political spectrum, can still file a motion for
reconsideration with the Comelec en banc

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – In a blow to the congressional
ambitions of former National Youth Commission chair Ronald Cardema, the
first division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday,
August 5, cancelled his nomination as the party-list representative of
Duterte Youth in the 18th Congress.

"The nomination of Respondent, Ronald Gian Carlo L Cardema, as
the first nominee of Duterte Youth party-list is hereby cancelled," read
the Comelec first division's resolution obtained by Rappler.

With the Comelec first
division’s decision, Cardema will not be issued a certificate of
proclamation by Comelec and will not be able to sit as representative in
the Lower House. Duterte Youth took one seat in the 2019 elections.

Election lawyer Emil Marañon, who filed a petition against Cardema's
bid, said the first division of the poll-body voted 2-0 against Cardema.
The third member of the division was away.

"We are happy to announce that with the vote of 2-0, the Comelec
First Division has granted our petition seeking the cancellation of
nomination of Gian Carlo Cardema as the First Nominee of the Duterte
Youth Party-List," Marañon tweeted Monday afternoon.

The decision is a setback for Cardema whose congressional bid drew
wide criticism across the political spectrum, although he can still file
a motion for reconsideration with the Comelec en banc.

Cardema was not on the list of nominees originally submitted by the
Duterte Youth with Comelec. A day before Election Day, he filed a
petition to substitute the first nominee of the group, who was his wife.
In accordance with the party list rules, which requires the next
nominees on the list to move up ranks when somebody withdraws, all other
Duterte Youth nominees had to withdraw so Cardema could be listed as
top nominee.

Majority of the 7-member Comelec en banc on June 4 decided to give Cardema's substitution bid due course,
saying the party met the deadline for filing substitutes. This, despite
it being filed past office hours on a weekend, a day before Election
Day.

Groups and election experts had criticized the poll body for
approving the substitution bid, saying Cardema's last minute moves
disobeyed the Comelec's very own rules and stripped it of its
credibility.

Aside from its timing, a main issue highlighted in Cardema's case was the age limit required
of youth sector representatives in Congress based on Republic Act No.
7941 or the Party-List System Act. The law mandates that representatives
of the youth sector must be at least 25 years old, but not more than 30
years old on Election Day. Cardema is 34 years old.

Three other substitute nominees, aged 31 to 36, also "failed to comply with the age requirement."

Found to breach the age limit for the sector's congressional representative, Cardema had changed tunes during a Comelec hearing on his case, claiming that he represented professionals instead of the youth.

Groups also slammed Cardema for skirting election rules and using his
position to campaign for Duterte Youth in the run up to the 2019
elections. By not having himself nominated early on, he excused himself
from Malacañang's directive for Cabinet members running for elective
posts to resign in time for the campaign period.

Cardema's loss comes after he contended with several petitions
questioning his congressional bid. No less than former poll chairman
Sixto Brillantes Jr and veteran election lawyer Romulo Macalintal –
veteran election lawyers – backed calls for the Comelec to reject it.

Election experts had earlier warned that
approving Duterte Youth and Cardema's actions despite the glaring legal
challenges would set a dangerous precedent, opening a "floodgate of
abuses to the prejudice of the public policy of electoral transparency."

Cardema will still serve as PMA adviser

MANILA - Although he resigned from his post as youth commissioner,
Ronald Cardema will still serve as an adviser of the Philippine
Military Academy (PMA).

PMA spokesperson Rey Afan said Cardema will keep his seat at the academy's Board of Advisers (BOA).

"Because we are the ones who asked helped from them, it is but right
for us to continue implementing the BOA protocol to all its members," he
said.

The board is selected by the academy’s management body to serve a
2-year term and to provide counsel in the institution. It is composed of
members from different sectors, such as youth, education, and
legislation.

"He was selected to help us because he was representing the youth.
So, even if he is not anymore in the National Youth Commission, he may
still represent the youth in his own capacity,” Afan said.

Cardema was dismissed as a cadet of the PMA more than a decade ago for absence without leave.

Cardema recently resigned from his post after deciding to represent the Duterte Youth party-list group.

His bid to represent the youth group has drawn criticism as he is 33, three years over the age limit for youth representation.

The Comelec en banc has yet to resolve Cardema's plea, which is facing 10 oppositions

Guanzon dares Cardema to publicly deny being behind threats

MANILA, Philippines — Commissioner Rowena Guanzon of the Commission on
Elections (Comelec) dares Ronald Cardema, whose nomination to the
Duterte Youth party-list group was canceled, to publicly deny that he
was behind threats to her and her family.

Immediately after news of Mr. Cardema’s disqualification came out [on
Monday], I got text messages threatening me and my family,” Guanzon
bared in a press conference held on Wednesday.

“In the past, a few weeks ago, Mr. Cardema has denied this
on television, denied that he is responsible for this. But these recent
text messages are worst because they are now attacking my family,” she
added.

Some of the text messages directly threatened her life, calling her “Satanas,” or Satan.

“Whether or not he is directly involved for this, I feel
that Mr. Cardema should come out to the public and deny it because I
want to hear him answer my accusation that his group or gang are
threatening harm to myself and members of my family,” Guanzon said.

“There is a limit to what commissioners can ignore in this industry,”
she said. “If you threaten me that’s fine. I can defend myself. If you
threaten my family, and they have nothing to do with my work — and
children should be off-limits in our conflicts — that’s another matter.
You will answer to me,” she added.

But how could she be sure that the threats came from the camp of Cardema?

Guanzon said that the timing of the text messages was perfect.

She said that less than 12 hours after election lawyer Emil Marañon
posted the decision on his Twitter page, she started receiving messages
like: “Kunwari ka pa hindi ikaw ang gumawa!”

Guanzon was the acting presiding commissioner of the Comelec First
Division which handled Cardema‘s case. The division chairman, Al Parreño
was out on official business.

Under the 25-page resolution released last Monday, the Comelec denied
the nomination of Cardema to be the party-list representative of the
Duterte Youth due to “material misrepresentation,” which under Comelec
Resolution No. 9366 is a ground for cancelation of a nomination.

“The Commission finds Respondent to have committed material misrepresentation on his qualifications,” the resolution read.

“The nomination of Respondent, Ronald Gian Carlo L Cardema, as the
first nominee of Duterte Youth party-list, is hereby canceled,” read the
last page of the resolution.